Kawakami: Warriors playing it cool

The Warriors have no scheduled sit-downs with LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, because this just isn't that kind of mega-sell summer for them.

This isn't at all like last year, when the Warriors waded into the Dwight Howard Circus, put on the big pitch, and earned themselves a spot on the free agent front lines.

Then Joe Lacob, Bob Myers & Co. wheeled around and acquired Andre Iguodala almost before the Howard meeting was done.

This time, unless the Warriors make a late jump into the LeBron/Carmelo intrigue, they're playing it cool in July.

If things work out for them, it will be about delayed gratification, patience, and tending to the quality roster and quality people they have already assembled.

FILE - In this April 16, 2014 file photo, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (42) drives against Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans, right, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have been talking to teams for weeks now about trading All-Star forward Kevin Love. That could happen on draft night, Thursday, June 26, when the Timberwolves hold 13th pick. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt, File)
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Ann Heisenfelt
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The Warriors have staked out the Kevin Love market, have nudged around the trade parameters with Minnesota and have declined to meet the Timberwolves' demand for Klay Thompson.

Love is by far their No. 1 big-ticket option, but to this point the Warriors execs have decided that he only makes them a title contender if they can add him and keep Thompson, too.

So the Warriors are fine with letting the Love discussions simmer maybe all the way into November or even February.

The Warriors execs believe the star power forward wants to be a Warrior; they believe there isn't another hot offer for Love out there (or else he would have been traded by now).

And they believe Minnesota has to pull the trigger at some point before next summer, when Love can be a free agent.

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Essentially, Lacob and Myers probably presume that they don't lose much by sticking with their offer of David Lee and Harrison Barnes for Love, waiting, and dialing down the urgency just a bit.

As a nice symbolic representation of all of that, guess what famous foursome teed it up at Pebble Beach last weekend?

That would be Lacob (who owns a home on the course), Stephen Curry (who was staging his youth camp nearby), his father Dell Curry, and new coach Steve Kerr.

FILE - This is a Sept. 30, 2013 file photo showing Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love posing at the NBA basketball teams media day in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have been talking to teams for weeks now about trading All-Star forward Kevin Love. That could happen on draft night, Thursday, June 26, 2014, when the Timberwolves hold 13th pick. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)
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So how did the golf go?

"They are all very good," Lacob said via email Tuesday.

And it's a good bet that Curry might have lightly reminded Lacob how much he'd like Thompson to remain alongside him in the Warriors backcourt. (Oh, and Kerr is a big Thompson fan, too.)

This is not to say that Lacob and his executives are in any sort of resort mode, of course.

Lacob runs this team like a permanent Venture Capitalist Situation Room and they are always on the prowl for interesting potential additions.

On Tuesday, the Warriors agreed to a three-year, $16 million deal with Shaun Livingston, who fills a key need as a backup point guard behind Curry and maybe several other spots, too.

It's not a cheap deal, but importantly, it doesn't clog up any avenues the Warriors might use to acquire Love.

Lacob wouldn't talk about Livingston because the deal isn't official for a few days and he sure won't talk about Love, but Lacob clearly was happy with the summer so far.

For what it's worth: When I asked if the Warriors will definitely keep Thompson and extend his contract this offseason, Lacob had no comment.

I'm not sure if that signifies anything, though Lacob in the recent past has vociferously predicted that Thompson would be absolutely re-signed.

Hmm. There is some possible wiggle room in the Warriors and Minnesota deal-positioning.

An NBA source indicated Wednesday that Minnesota president Flip Saunders has insisted that the Warriors must not only include Thompson but also take Kevin Martin and his remaining $22.2 million in any Love deal.

The Warriors absolutely want to do no such thing.

In that scenario, they would just lose too much defensive flexibility and get stuck with too much long-term financial junk.

That's why the Warriors' decision isn't a simple choice between Thompson and Love.